Hello! Thanks for all your reviews.

I have to say I was really dreading writing this because I was sure I would screw it up so that's why the update took a bit longer than expected but i've done my best so I really hope you like it.


Chapter Twenty Nine

I love you too.

Teddy sat up and looked around; he could have sworn Victoire had been there a minute ago. Instead Madam Pomfrey was leaning over him with a spoonful of potion aimed towards his mouth.

"What's going on?" he asked in alarm as he began to regain his senses.

"Nothing, now just take this and everything will be right as rain when you wake up."

Teddy didn't bother to argue; he opened his mouth and immediately descended into darkness once more.

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"Teddy?"

Teddy stirred back into consciousness. When he opened his eyes he found a host of familiar faces watching him.

"Gran?"

"I'm here my dear," Andromeda said planting a kiss on his forehead. He sat up and smiled tiredly at Harry, Caspian, Vanessa and Hubert.

"Hey all," he said with sheepish grin.

They all smiled back at him apart from Vanessa who with tears in her eyes wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't ever pass out like that again!" she ordered.

"Did I pass out?" Teddy asked. He tried to remember but the only thing he could think of was Victoire declaring her love for him. "How long was I out for?"

"Six weeks," answered Caspian solemnly.

Teddy straightened up in shock, "What? How? B-but that means the NEWTS are in a few weeks. Merlin, have I missed the last Quidditch match?" he asked frantically.

"That wasn't funny Caspian," Andromeda said sternly as she soothed her grandson. Caspian smirked and Harry tried to conceal a grin.

"You've been out for about nine hours," he informed his godson.

"Oh…good," Teddy said with a relieved smile, "Why did I pass out?"

Andromeda glanced at Harry before turning back to her grandson, "Apparently you're severely anaemic," she replied.

"Anaemic?" repeated Teddy. Why on earth would I be…suddenly he remembered and innately moved to cover up his right arm but from the glances of his godfather and grandmother he knew they'd already seen the needle marks. His fear was confirmed when Andromeda politely asked Caspian, Vanessa and Hubert for a moment or two to talk to Teddy in private and as Harry drew the curtains around the three of them Teddy suddenly felt horribly sick.

"Teddy…" began Andromeda.

"I can explain," interrupted Teddy.

Harry and Andromeda exchanged weary looks and sat down.

Teddy bit his lip and looked around to buy time knowing in his heart he couldn't explain at all. He couldn't explain about the potion, he couldn't explain needle marks, he couldn't explain anything because they'd never approve or understand.

He turned back to face his family and to his horror found tears forming in his grandmother's eyes.

"Please Gran…" he began feebly.

"I just want to know what's going on Teddy," she replied as she fished out a handkerchief from her bag and Harry awkwardly put an arm round her. He looked up at his godson grimly.

"Madam Pomfrey says those are needle marks," he said slowly as he pointed at Teddy's exposed right arm. He paused and Teddy could see he was thinking about how to go on, "Teddy, why are you sticking needles into your arm?" he asked. He was staring at Teddy squarely but his godson didn't answer so he continued, "We're not angry at you; your grandmother and I are just concerned and confused."

"You wouldn't understand," mumbled Teddy sinking into his bed dismally as his mind raced back to his failed attempt to bring back his parents.

"Help us understand," Andromeda begged. Teddy couldn't bear to look at her. He'd never felt so ashamed in all his life, he loved her so much but he just couldn't tell her about the potion right now.

"I won't do it again," Teddy promised with a weak smile which neither of his family returned, "I did it for an experiment; I wanted to see what effect my blood had on a potion. It was stupid I know, but I won't do it again. I'm not some mad man, I was just experimenting. I won't do it ever again. I promise."

"You were using needles for experiments with your blood?" asked Harry in alarm, "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"I know, I said it was stupid," Teddy repeated, "I don't know why I did it."

"Where did you get such an idea from?" Andromeda asked angrily.

"Was it that book?" Harry put in quietly. Andromeda looked at him quizzically but Harry's stare was firmly on his godson.

Teddy stared right back and took a deep breath, "No."

"What book?" asked Andromeda.

"I have this book which Harry doesn't approve of," Teddy answered deciding to be truthful for once.

Andromeda glanced at Harry but he didn't say anymore. Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to come bustling in with various potions and instruments and so the subject of Teddy's book never came up again. The school nurse declared Teddy clinically fine but insisted that he did not do anything other than attend lessons and meals for the next week. This meant that he was barred from captaining the Quidditch team at the weekend, notification of which sent Teddy into hysterics.

"I HAVE TO PLAY!" he yelled as Harry and his grandmother got ready to leave.

"Teddy, don't shout," Andromeda said sternly, "Madam Pomfrey doesn't think you'll be up to it."

"And what the fuck does she know?" Teddy screamed sitting up straight in bed.

"Language," Andromeda added with a sigh.

"Look, Teddy," began Harry placing a firm hand on his godson's shoulder, "I missed a couple of games in my day, not to mention the amount of times I had to be taken off the field. It's no big deal. It's not the last game of the year anyhow."

"But I've never missed a game in seven years! I'll be damned if I miss one because the nurse thinks I'm a bit peaky!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes and kissed her grandson on the head, "Well, the nurse's say is final my dear and don't go making a fuss about it. Now take care and no more 'experimenting' ok?"

"Right," agreed Teddy hugging his grandmother tightly and receiving a ruffle of his hair from his godfather. They left and almost immediately Caspian walked in.

"Hey," Teddy said with a solemn smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Old Pomp won't let me play on Saturday," Teddy answered miserably as he allowed Caspian space on his bed to sit. It was nearly half eleven and the end of what might have been Teddy's longest day ever. It was surely one of his worst.

"She won't let you play?" asked Caspian incredulously, "What the hell, just because you fainted? But you'll be perfectly fine by Saturday. It's two days away."

"Exactly," replied Teddy glumly. There was a short silence before a slow smile crept onto Caspian's face, "What?"

"I'm captain now," he said with a broad grin.

"Oh well done," Teddy reacted sarcastically.

"What? I finally get to wear the captain's kit," Caspian said, "I find it rather fetching."

"Well fashion aside, make sure you don't lose. If we get a good win against Hufflepuff then we're virtually assured the cup what with Ravenclaw's slip up in the new year."

"What did you tell them about your needle marks?" asked Caspian suddenly.

"Huh? Oh…some story about experimenting," replied Teddy, "Did they ask you?"

Caspian nodded, "I didn't say anything."

Teddy smiled gratefully, "Thanks. Cass?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry for being so…unfriendly these last couple of weeks. I guess I was so wrapped up in bringing back my parents that I forgot about everything else in my life."

"It's ok," said Caspian automatically before suddenly deciding something, "no actually Teddy it's not ok."

"Excuse me?"

Caspian stared at his best friend who was taken aback but once he had started he couldn't stop himself, "Ted, you know you're my best friend right and you always will be till the end of time but you can't go on like this. I worried about you. I know they say it's the smart ones who was the most unhinged so I understand you'll have your crazy moments but there's mad scientist and there's Azkaban material and it's a very thin line between the two."

"I'm not a bad person," Teddy insisted.

"I know that," said Caspian softly, not wanting to look at his friend, "but good people can do bad things, just remember that."

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Teddy was let out of the hospital wing the next morning. His friends were all very welcoming; they seemed to have forgotten the circumstances which had brought Teddy to the hospital wing in the first place. Everyone, including teachers watched him eat his meals and Teddy made sure to satisfy them by eating double portions. Soon it was Saturday and Teddy's life had resumed the same routine as before his mini breakdown. The only thing bugging him was Victoire. Had he dreamt her saying she loved him or had she indeed whispered those three words while he had been asleep? He didn't know and he seemed unable to get her on her own, she was always surrounded by her male friends or in detention. So it was in fact Victoire who made the first move on the morning before the Quidditch match. She took time out of Caspian's last minute practice to walk over to where Teddy sat alone in the stands staring at the brooms whizzing above him in envy.

"It's a shame you can't play," Victoire said drawing attention to her presence beside Teddy. He turned round evidently surprised to find his ex-girlfriend so close to him.

"Yeah," he managed to mumble, "but you're a brilliant seeker. I don't think we'll have too much trouble."

"Thanks," said Victoire appreciatively. They sat together in comfortable silence watching Nathan Davies, the fill in chaser miss the goal hoop by miles, "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine," answered Teddy, "although I have a bump from where I hit the ground when I fainted. I've tried to cover it with a new fringe," he gestured to his large amount of hair covering most of his eyes.

"I like it," said Victoire with a laugh, "I've always wished I could just morph my hair especially now with this stupid black mess on my head."

"It's not a mess," Teddy protested, "It looks beautiful."

Victoire blushed and looked away and for a moment the only noise was Caspian yelling at Oscar Rattle for being fast enough.

"I came to see you in the hospital wing," Victoire said suddenly as Mandy Wood could be heard in the distance telling Caspian to stop being such a bully.

"I knew it!" said Teddy triumphantly, "You kissed me and you said…" he trailed off as he saw the horrified expression on Victoire's face.

"Y-you were awake?" she spluttered.

"Yeah," Teddy admitted guiltily.

Teddy had never seen Victoire so red, she seemed unable to speak and quickly excuse herself and went back to Quidditch practice.

"Real smooth Tedster," Teddy muttered under his breath, "Real fucking smooth."

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Teddy strolled around Hogwarts miserably. Gryffindor v Hufflepuff had been going on for about twenty minutes. Although Teddy hated to admit it, he found watching Quidditch very boring and so like a handful of people who also had no interested in the sport he had nothing to do with his afternoon. He walked towards Hagrid's cabin sighing deeply as he reflected on his week. Murder, blackmail, failure and love with the main themes in his mind but also niggling away at him was what Caspian had said about good people doing bad things. It made him feel ashamed. He'd done so many bad things over the last school year alone and for what? What had gained? He had won and lost Victoire, he had nearly lost Caspian and had hurt so many people not least his grandmother. Why? He asked himself but he already knew the answer: his parents. When Teddy really thought about everything he did, it all came back to his mum and dad, the war heroes, the ones he had to make proud. Everything he did, he did for them but it would never be good enough. Nothing he'd ever do would ever live up to their expectations. He was doomed.

Teddy groaned and sat by one of the trees at the front of the forbidden forest. The forest had always intrigued him. Harry had told him how to get into the shrieking shack from here and when he had been young, Teddy, Cass, Hubert and a then single Johnny, would always take elaborate excursions into the deepest depths of the forest, the result usually being someone getting lost and then five hours of detention but nonetheless their journeys had been fun.

Teddy smiled wistfully when he remembered the old days. He looked up at the sun shining brightly and the warmness of the day and suddenly had the urge to relive his pre-pubescence. He stood up and walked a little into the forbidden forest. He hadn't been in here for nearly a year and almost took a wrong turning. As he backtracked he stumbled over something and fell onto his rear with painful bump. He caught sight of what had tripped him up and saw it was a small round stone. He didn't know why he picked it up but he did. He surveyed the weird markings upon it, they were ancient runes but he couldn't see them well in this light so he walked back out of the forest flipping the stone as he did. After a couple of flips a grey ethereal mist began to extrude out of the stone and suddenly, so suddenly that Teddy didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening two figures began to solidify in front of him and immediately he knew who they were.

"Mum? Dad?"

Teddy took a step back in fear. His parents were standing right in front of him. They weren't ghosts or spirits; they were real, opaque and staring at him in concern.

"Don't be scared," his mother said desperately reaching out to touch Teddy but all he could feel was ice like coldness on his skin. If he could have screamed he would have done but all control over his body had been lost. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, he could barely think.

"I like your hair," his mother was saying now with strained smile, "Although I liked it better when it was turquoise. That's the colour you used to prefer as a baby." Teddy blankly at her so she continued, "You're probably wondering who we are."

"I know exactly who are you," Teddy blurted out as he suddenly regained his senses, "H-how are you here?"

"You brought us here," Nymphadora answered, "that stone in your hand is the resurrection stone."

"The what?"

"Resurrection stone," repeated Remus speaking for the first time; Hearing his father's voice made Teddy take another step backwards.

"No," pleaded Remus, "don't be scared. We've waited so long to meet you."

"You have?" Teddy asked eagerly. He was shaking and he could feel his eyes filling up with tears. He couldn't believe he was talking to his parents.

"Of course we have," Nymphadora said as Teddy moved closer to them, "We've been watching you every second of every day of your life. We knew you'd find us eventually."

Teddy stared at his parents in wonderment, they were exactly like the pictures that adorned his home but this was better. This was real.

"Have I brought you back for good?" he asked quietly. From the glances his parents exchanged he knew the answer.

"No, sweetheart," his mother whispered, "but that doesn't matter. We're here for now, for you and even when we have to go we'll still be here even if you can't see us."

"But I miss you so much," Teddy said softly, wiping his tears away clumsily "I dream about you."

"I know you do."

"And I tried to bring you back but it just wouldn't work."

"I saw you," Remus said with small smile, "And we're so proud of the things you managed to do but don't waste your life trying to get us back. We were meant to go Teddy."

"But you were so young!" Teddy protested angrily, "I was so young, it's not fair. Some death eaters are still around."

"I know and it's not fair," Remus said resolutely, "but when you see the grand scheme of things, it all makes sense. Everything happens for a reason."

"So I'm supposed to be alone?" Teddy concluded bitterly.

"Oh baby, you're not alone," Nymphadora cried trying to wrap her arms around her son but they just felt like slashes of cold water around his neck, "You have mum, you have Harry and the Weasleys."

"But I want you."

"I know you do but like your father said, you'll understand why one day. You have your own path to follow. You're going to do great things Teddy and we're so proud of you already."

"But I can't stop doing bad things as well," Teddy confessed. He stared guiltily at his parents who looked back at him gravely, "You're not proud of that side of me are you?"

"No Teddy, I have to admit I'm not," Remus answered, "but I know your heart and I know when the time comes you'll make the right decisions."

"What if I don't?" Teddy asked wildly.

"You will," insisted Nymphadora, "We know you will and that's why we're so proud of you."

Teddy smiled gratefully and although he knew he'd feel nothing he wrapped his arms around his parents like he'd yearned to do since he was four years old.

"We have to go now," Remus whispered against his ear.

"NO!" yelled Teddy, "There's so much I want to ask you."

"Another time my love," Nymphadora said apologetically patting Teddy's hair.

"Why? It's not like you have anything better to do," Teddy said fiercely.

"No, but you do," his father laughed pointing behind him. Teddy spun round and saw Victoire rushing towards him. He turned back to his parents but they had vanished, echoes of 'I love you' playing across his ears. He stared at the resurrection stone and hastily put it in his cloak pocket as he turned to face Victoire Weasley.

"Hello," he said trying to be as casual as possible but his voice came out high pitched and Victoire's eyes flickered to his tear stained pale face.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine," Teddy lied, quickly changing subject, "Did we win?"

"Yeah," said Victoire with a shy smile, "I got the snitch early. It was 210 to 50."

"Oh, good," said Teddy running a hand through his hair agitatedly.

"We're celebrating up in the common room and we need our captain."

"Cool,"

"Teddy?"

"What?" Teddy snapped.

"Fine," said Victoire sharply turning round to walk off but Teddy caught her by the arm.

"Victoire, I'm sorry," Teddy said quickly making the young girl look at him.

"Are you sure you're ok? Shall I get the nurse?"

"No, really I'm fine. In fact," Teddy smiled slowly, "I've never felt so well in all my life."

"You're strange," declared Victoire with a grin.

"You wouldn't want me any other way," Teddy responded. Victoire blushed and tried to look away but Teddy wouldn't have it, he kissed her passionately on the lips and she didn't pull back until his hands slipped to her waist.

"Teddy, I don't think-"

"I love you Victoire Weasley," Teddy said firmly.

"Pardon?"

"I said I love you," Teddy whispered placing a hand on Victoire's face and stroking her cheek, "And I think maybe you love me."

Victoire stared up at Teddy, searching deep into his brown eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many issues they had to resolve but the only things she could express in words right now was, "I do love you."

Teddy blushed in surprise but then smiled as Victoire brought her lips to meet his in an intense embrace. He wrapped his arms around her eagerly, never wanting to let go again. Eventually they did part and once Teddy had got his breath back he said casually, "What now?"

Victoire shrugged but leant out her hand for Teddy to take. He intertwined her fingers with his and they strolled, in silence, up to the castle. Up above them the sun shone brightly and Teddy could have sworn he saw his parents smiling down on them.


How was it?

Please review!

Spoilers: Lots of Victoire and Teddy, Birthdays, blasts from the past, boozing and maybe more Dora and Remus ?